Venezuela's Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez speaks with the media in Caracas, Friday, Feb. 8, 2008. Ramirez denied that Venezuela's state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA  has had US$12 billion (?8.3 billion) in assets frozen by court orders in Exxon Mobil Corp. challenges to the nationalization of an oil project in the South American country. Ramirez is also PDVSA's president. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
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